The DCoE Real Warriors Campaign is designed to combat stigma and support service members and their families in getting needed help to deal with psychological health concerns and TBI. The campaign spotlights warriors who have the courage to step forward to seek help and demonstrate resilience in overcoming their challenges.

Army Battlemind is a training series applied throughout all phases of deployment, designed to provide soldiers with the inner strength to face fear and adversity with courage.

Air Force Landing Gear promotes education, symptom recognition, and help-seeking behaviors to increase the rate at which traumatic stress symptoms are identified in airmen.

Marine Corps Combat Operational Stress Control provides strategies that leaders use to strengthen, mitigate, identify, treat and reintegrate Marines back into their units. Strengthening occurs prior to deployment; mitigation occurs during deployment; and identification occurs throughout the deployment cycle.

DoD Suicide Prevention and Risk Reduction Committee provides a centralized structure and forum that facilitates collaboration among services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, other federal partners, and subject matter experts. The committee's goals are to advance practice and science and promote effective DoD system-wide policy and services.

Early Identification:

The DoD requires a face-to-face health assessment with a trained health care provider for each individual returning from a deployment. The assessment includes a discussion of mental health or psychosocial issues commonly associated with deployments. This assessment occurs again three to six months after the deployment, during which a trained health care provider discusses identified health concerns and determines if referrals are required. The provider educates individuals on post-deployment health readjustment issues and provides information on resources available for assistance. Finally, mandatory annual periodic health assessments address psychological functioning and overall psychological readiness for all service members and provide on-going opportunities for early identification and intervention.

Early Intervention:

DoD is integrating mental health care into the primary care setting for service members. Army's RESPECT-Mil, Re-engineering Systems of Primary Care Treatment in the Military, is an example of this. The program provides primary-care-based screening, assessment, treatment, and referral of Army soldiers with depression or PTSD.

The Air Force’s Behavioral Health Optimization Program, which places psychologists and social workers as behavioral health consultants in primary care clinics in Air Force medical facilities, is another example. The program provides increased access and continuity of care and early intervention. The Navy has a similar program of integrating mental health providers in primary care through Deployment Health Clinics. 

Another strategy to provide early intervention is to embed mental health professionals in line units to offer services to warriors in combat. Several examples are the Marine Corps Operational Stress Control and Readiness, Navy psychologists on carriers, and Army and Marine Division Psychiatrists.

Treatment:

Treatment models are being developed, employed, studied and refined to address both PTSD and substance use disorders. Examples include “Seeking Safety” and “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy,” both of which show promise as effective treatments for co-occurring PTSD and substance abuse and dependence. In addition, VA/DoD evidence-based clinical practice guidelines are being developed and revised to address the relationships between PTSD, TBI and substance abuse.

If you are a service member or loved one and have questions about alcohol or substance abuse, feel free to call DCoE’s Outreach Center at 866-966-1020.